Cost of Owning a Horse: July 2022 Expense Report

How much do horses cost? Here’s my answer for July.

These reports are intended to be a tool for horse enthusiasts who are considering buying (or leasing) a horse and want a transparent look at the real cost of horse ownership.

(If you’re new to these expense reports, make sure to read the “reminders” section here for background on my finances.)

Here’s the recap of where my horse funds went for July:

2% Education
30% Stabling
17% Health
44% Gear
4% Insurance
3% Travel
0% Fun

Remember that if you’re not exploring barter opportunities, you need to start! Sign up for our email list to get 7 ways to trade for horse expenses and lower your cash out-of-pocket burden.

Cost of Owning a Horse This Month

$375 // Education

$225 – Lessons (Bartered down to $0)
$75 – Show Fee
$75 – Dressage Fix-a-Test Fun Day (Bartered down to $0)

If you’re taking lessons (or about to start), check out our 13 best horseback riding boots for lessons.

$595.01 // Health

$300 – Farrier (shoeing one horse, trimming the other)
$102 – Gut X Supplement
$46.67 – SmartPak – EquiThrive Essential (cow horse)
$46.39 – SmartPak – SmartDigest Ultra (cow horse)
$99.95 – SmartPak – SmartGI Ultra (pony)

$1,497 // Gear

$2,000 – Western saddle for the pony (Bartered marketing services to get this down to $725)
$60 – Western stirrups (for the new saddle)
$4 – Rein stoppers
$415 – CSI saddle pad (Bartered marketing services to get this down to $0)
$53 – Mini horse rope halter and tag labels
$8 – Roll on fly spray
$14 – Leather cleaning spray
$58 – Running martingale
$90 – English bit
$45 – Fly spray and sunscreen
$30 – Cantle bag
($-15) – Sold reins on consignment
$10 – V fork martingale attachment

$144.08 // Insurance

$14.58 – Equisure Liability
$129.50 – Berkley Mortality & Major Medical

$1,050 // Stabling

$525 – Cow Horse (Bartered to $0 for clinic management services)
$525 – Jumping Pony (Bartered down to $0 for lesson system management services)

$107.52 // Travel

$107.52 – Mileage to the barn

$158 // Fun

$158 – Professional photos from my dressage show!

GRAND TOTALS

TOTAL (Before Adjustments) = $3,768.61
TOTAL (After Adjustments) = $1,953.61
Under-budget by $46.39

Note: I doubled my budget for 2022 now that I have two boarded horses.

Wonder how expensive horses are where you live? We break down the average horse cost in all 50 states.

Remember, if you’re surprised how expensive horses are, remember that there are plenty of other ways to get your horse fix besides ownership.

Happy Trails!

P.S. If you hate buyer’s remorse too, check out our Horse Rookie Must Haves on Amazon for equestrian gear that’s worth every penny!

P.P.S. Buying your first horse? Check out 60 Questions to Ask When Buying the Horse of Your Dreams and our Beginner’s Guide to the Best Equine Insurance.

See More Expense Reports

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